New Orleans Saints special teams making strides

SmashMouth · 09-18-2010, 04:27 PM

It was one game, Pierson Prioleau cautioned.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune
New Orleans Saints safety Pierson Prioleau, a 12-year veteran safety and the team's special teams captain, was encouraged by the unit's progress against the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener.
So there's no reason for the New Orleans Saints' special team coverers to act as if, collectively, they've become a blanket. There is no reason to declare their problems have been solved, and that 25- and 50-yard punt and kickoff returns are things of the past.

But even a 12-year veteran safety such as Prioleau, the Saints' special teams captain, is allowed to be encouraged.
"It's fair to say we made some improvements from the preseason to the first game of the season, " Prioleau said. "We just flat-out covered the ball better in the first game of the season.
"It's a long season, we have a long way to go. We still can get better in some of the things we're doing on special teams. But it was inspiring, it was good to see the guys come together and accept the roles."
Accept roles, rather than allow holes.
A group of special teams players who couldn't consistently cover even if their jobs depended on it was the most inexplicably inept part of the Saints last season. And their jobs, of course, did depend on it.
Opponents averaged 14.3 yards per punt return against New Orleans in 2009, with a touchdown, and 24.5 yards per kickoff return. And then the Saints did the near-impossible and got worse: During the first two exhibition games they were gashed for a 40-yard punt return and kickoff returns of 26, 28, 52, 53 and 66 yards.

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09-18-2010, 04:27 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	New Orleans Saints special teams making strides It was one game, Pierson Prioleau cautioned. Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune New Orleans Saints safety Pierson Prioleau, a 12-year veteran safety and the team's special teams captain, was encouraged by the unit's progress against the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener. So there's no reason for the New Orleans Saints' special team coverers to act as if, collectively, they've become a blanket. There is no reason to declare their problems have been solved, and that 25- and 50-yard punt and kickoff returns are things of the past. But even a 12-year veteran safety such as Prioleau, the Saints' special teams captain, is allowed to be encouraged. "It's fair to say we made some improvements from the preseason to the first game of the season, " Prioleau said. "We just flat-out covered the ball better in the first game of the season. "It's a long season, we have a long way to go. We still can get better in some of the things we're doing on special teams. But it was inspiring, it was good to see the guys come together and accept the roles." Accept roles, rather than allow holes. A group of special teams players who couldn't consistently cover even if their jobs depended on it was the most inexplicably inept part of the Saints last season. And their jobs, of course, did depend on it. Opponents averaged 14.3 yards per punt return against New Orleans in 2009, with a touchdown, and 24.5 yards per kickoff return. And then the Saints did the near-impossible and got worse: During the first two exhibition games they were gashed for a 40-yard punt return and kickoff returns of 26, 28, 52, 53 and 66 yards. read more Attached Thumbnails